Influence of Social Media on Promoting Agricultural Production in Nigeria: A Study of Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State

Agriculture remains the backbone of Nigeria's rural economy, yet smallholder farmers continue to face significant challenges in accessing market information, modern techniques, and extension services, challenges that social media increasingly promises to address. This study examined the influence of social media on promoting agricultural production in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State. The study was anchored on the Diffusion of Innovations Theory by Everett Rogers, which explains how new ideas, technologies, and practices spread through social systems via communication channels over time. A descriptive survey design was adopted, targeting farmers and agricultural extension workers in Nkanu East LGA. A sample of 140 respondents was selected through stratified random sampling, and a structured questionnaire served as the instrument of data collection. Findings revealed that farmers in Nkanu East with access to smartphones utilise WhatsApp and Facebook groups to share farming tips, market prices, and weather updates, leading to modest improvements in crop management decisions. However, limited internet access, low digital literacy, and inconsistent network coverage constrained broader social media adoption among the farming population. The study concluded that social media holds considerable potential for advancing agricultural productivity in Nkanu East but remains underutilised due to infrastructural and literacy barriers. It was recommended that government agricultural agencies integrate social media into extension services and that rural digital infrastructure be prioritised to expand farmers' access to online agricultural knowledge networks.

Keywords: Social media, agricultural production, Nkanu East, Enugu State, rural communication